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Reds use four solo shots to down Pirates

John Fay, USA TODAY Sports
11:29 p.m. EDT June 17, 2013

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park.(Photo: Frank Victores, USA TODAY Sports)

Story Highlights

The Reds beat the Pirates, 4-1

Four Cincinnati players hit solo home runs to account for the team's scoring

CINCINNATI -- Reds manager Dusty Baker was saying before the game that the Pirates used their bigger ballpark to their advantage in the series at PNC Park earlier this year, i.e., the Reds' home run power was negated.

Playing in the friendly confines of Great American Ball Park, the Reds put on a home run clinic. To be fair, however, three of the four home runs the Reds hit in a 4-1 victory over the Pirates before a crowd of 28,892 at GABP would have gotten out of any park but Yellowstone.

All the Reds' offense came via the home run -- long blasts from Zack Cozart, Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce and a wall-scraper from Joey Votto.

"We welcome being back home," Baker said. "Our home-field advantage is we can reach the fences. They can too. But this is our home park."

Mike Leake (7-3) continued his roll. He went seven innings and allowed one run on six hits. He walked one and struck out three. Over his last seven starts, Leake is 5-1 with a 1.15 ERA.

"He's improved," Baker said. "He's improved over two years ago when he was one of our best pitchers. He's still learning. I was talking to Jim Maloney the other day. He said how he noticed Mike Leake has gotten stronger. He's got man muscles, very little boy muscles."

Leake says that's led to one big change.

"It helps in the ability to keep the ball down," he said. "The strength helps to keep the fingers on top of the ball and work down in the zone."

The Reds like playing behind him.

"He's a warrior," Frazier said. "When he's on the mound, he's got a presence about him. He understands: This is my spot. Nobody's taking it. That's the attitude you have. He works quick. That helps us out."

This was a 0-0 game through three innings.

Pirates starter Francisco Liriano got two quick outs in the fourth. Then Cozart jumped on a 2-1 pitch. It landed in the upper deck in left for Cozart's seventh home run of the year. The shot was estimated at 437 feet.

The Pirates tied it in the sixth. Alex Presley led off with a single. He was eliminated on Andrew McCutchen's fielder's choice groundout. Leake got Garrett Jones, thanks to a nice play in left by Derrick Robinson.

But Russell Martin sent one into the right-center gap. Jay Bruce made a sliding stop, but, with McCutchen running, the Reds had no chance to make a play at the plate.

It did not stay tied long. Frazier mashed a first pitch in the sixth. It made it to the upper deck in left-center -- an estimated 443 feet -- for Frazier's ninth homer.

"That one felt pretty good," Frazier said. "Cozart got us going. I told Cozart, 'I'm not going let you top me like that ever again.' We were joking. I said, 'You try to hit one farther than me, I'm going to beat you every time.'"

He did beat him by six feet.

Things got interesting after Leake left.

Sam LeCure started the eighth. He struck out Presley, then allowed a single to McCutchen.

The Reds brought in Tony Cingrani to face Jones and get the left-on-left matchup. The Pirates countered by pinch-hitting with right-handed-hitting Gaby Sanchez. After falling behind 3-0, Cingrani got Sanchez on a called third strike with a 95 mph fastball.

Martin walked -- after Cingrani thought he had him struck out twice. But Cingrani blew away left-hander Pedro Alvarez on three pitches.

Not bad for Cingrani's first appearance of the year in relief.

"We'd rather face Sanchez there tonight," Baker said.

Votto hit his 12th homer in the bottom of eighth. It landed in the first row of the seats above left. An out later, Bruce hit his 13th of the year and third in four games. It went way out to left-center -- a shot estimated at 436 feet.